


Red (Theatre of Dreams)

by MobiAblackout



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining, Realistic, Self-Discovery, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-11 18:12:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18429422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MobiAblackout/pseuds/MobiAblackout
Summary: Marcus starts to realize things aren't always what they seem and Jesse plays a massive part in it.





	Red (Theatre of Dreams)

**Author's Note:**

> It's probably too emotional, with a lot of metaphors.

Manchester means passion and ambition, burning and bruising red, indignant and wildest fire in the rainiest night, Manchester means history and golden days that people going to sing about forever, playing for United for every footballer should be extraordinary like the best piece of Mozart, classic. Playing for Manchester should be the masterpiece of your career, even when you leave United for wealth or other colors, red should be the color labeling your career forever. The time you step in Old Trafford glorious pitch you are a part of history. You should be a devil, a red fiery one forcing your teeth deep in your opponent raw meat.

That's what Marcus deemed as soon as he understands red is a unique color, he wanted to wear that jersey, his intention wasn't to become the golden boy, to be future of the club, he just wanted to become professional, because there are loads of people that come from the same environment that weren't lucky enough to make it, but as the time passed, more people from academy started to praise him saying he's going to be next Rooney or Cantona, Marcus himself has no idea whether it’s true, if he's that good, in academy he learned not to doubt himself. the moment you doubt yourself, you’re going to be another washed up footballer playing in a shitty club and never have an opportunity to taste the honor of red color wash over you, but Marcus can't help thinking about fucking everything up because as much as the dream is realistic it's hard to achieve, when he is a moment away from passing out in his bed after a long hard training session, right after dreaming about becoming what people think he's going to be, after he fantasizes about polishing prominent trophies heavy in his hand as he raises it to hear all the devils laugh and shout after a delicious meal.

As soon as he joins the first team, he kind of starts to think all of his teenage dreams was just an empty promise and false, shining but empty like all the beaming huge heavy cups he visualized about, starts to assume all the thoughts about fucking up in back of his mind were much more authentic, but he learned in academy as soon as you begin losing hope you are going to be another wanna be who can only warm the bench, and Marcus doesn't want that, he needs to score, that's the only aim in his mind when Van Gaal sends him to the pitch, he doesn't have to wait so long to score, he knows in heart this is his chance and he's not going to miss the boat, when the ball hit the back of the net, deafening sound of the crowd is nothing but an obscure noise to Marcus, his mind is blank as he shouts at the top of his lungs, there are fireworks and a theatre of dreams in his head and the set of the stage of his show is red.

But no matter how far he comes to get this he is never going to forget where he comes from or who he is, he's not playing just from himself, he plays for anyone that couldn't make it, he must not be the only one dreaming about it. He always tries to connect the two: where he’s come from, and where he is today. He always wants to keep that close by.

It's not just United for Marcus, it's the game itself, his brothers used to go out and play football all the time with their friends, so one day he just asked his mum, “Can I go?”, ever since he took a ball and go mess about on his own when his older brothers playing five-a-side he fell in love with the game. he meant to. He always goes to his old house, it's for the kids, because a lot of kids that grow up there, they can feel like they’re stuck in an environment where it’s difficult for them to make something of it. He can be that example to them and just show them. He thinks it’s important for them to see the light. See where they can get to.

Everyone is sure that they found the golden boy, what they've been looking for, after their dreams have been fragmented over and over again since Ronaldo left, the expectations are high and Marcus learned in academy to push his limits to end, to bring his best out of himself over and over again, it's exhausting, but it should worth it at the end of the day. Right?

 

 

Sometimes Marcus thinks about why he should be the one, he's glad for having a half guaranteed future but what if the tomorrow is not worth giving up the moment.

 

He had good memories and there is no good without bad, right?, playing in the kitchen setting stupid rules, escaping when he was grounded to go out and play, going to the training session with his brother all the way from Wythenshawe to Stalford until Dwaine got his driver license, the bad memories still bring pain to Marcus when he thinks about how much he has gone through because of growth pain, insomniac nights and how it still affects his pace, force him to become striker.

After all he's a young lad and he's living his dream, there is no problem in fooling around right?, and there is this boy in the team, slightly older than him but behaving like he's eighteen, he's the joker in the locker room, trying so hard to make everyone laugh and he has the widest, most honest smile Marcus has ever seen, they clicked pretty quick, they always go to training together at first Marcus pretends going with one car is for saving, but he doesn't like to lie to himself he's rich as fuck, so he admits he craves seeing Jesse's smile early morning, they always sit with each other in the plane, always train together, Jesse says he copies him, buying and wearing same clothes as him, but they both know they do it on purpose, they always room together, Jesse always takes a nap on his bed and he doesn't even sleep in Jesse’s bed, he doesn't want to or maybe he secretly likes it, he lies next to Jesse watches him asleep from corner of his eye as he checks his instagram.

He must admit the boy is pretty stupid or maybe he's a genius because sometimes Marcus had to think for a while to get Jesse's point, sometimes Jesse talks about things and express them in a way that eats Marcus' mind for days, he thinks about them over and over again end up asking Jesse to explain himself to only confuse Marcus even more.

As much as Jesse can act like a teen, sometimes their age gap is undeniable, he acts sensible and mature when Marcus is doing wrong, however, most people believe he's holding him back or not a good influence, Jesse pushes him to be better more than anyone else.

Jesse perceives the world in a way that's entertaining to Marcus, one night they were on their phones sharing a hotel room when suddenly Jesse stared at him and asked something out of blue "Marcus have you ever wonder that if sky's blue to me maybe its red to you, I don't know how to say it, man, what if red is blue to me and blue is red to you?" and that stucks in Marcus' brain for days, what if he has been battling for a dream that was just important in his world but not Jesse's, does it even matter?

The more they know each other and spent more time together their bond becomes stronger, at some point they both know they are inseparable, Marcus thinks he found his best friend for life, sometimes they don't need even talk, they just look at each other and burst into laughter, nobody gets it, their teammates say they talk in another language.

Marcus is not a person to think about other people behavior or words too much, he's more curious in learning new things or thinking about the future, his own future, that's how he was since he was kid, he thought about red ribbons knotted around a silver glowing prize, raised in the sky, in a sky that Jesse says might be red, but he doesn't imagine about that, tonight he envisions about a petite boy with the most careless smile in the world running to him in a red jersey, his arms wide open for a hug screaming in his ear that he has done his best, looking at him with his big brown eyes, Marcus thinks they are pretty, he thinks about how good he feels when Jesse wraps his hands around his neck and whisper a joke to him that only he gets. He embraces Jesse back and laughs loudly, Jesse's body feels small and fragile in his arms as he tightens the hug, sometimes Marcus tells him he's too little to act like a protective bigger brother and Jesse rolls his eyes and glares at him says he can't help it, Marcuse doesn't get it, what Jesse is talking about, whether his size or being protective he wants to ask him but before that Jesse's smiling and telling him something funny, Marcuse doesn't know if Jesse's cracks are as funny to everyone as they are to him.

Marcus thinks the true red is heart and not world, the true red is bruising and burning like Jesse's touch as he wraps his fingers around Marcus' wrist, tugs him to get his attention, tugs him to show him something ridiculous on his phone, Marcus wonders how Jesse would look like with a sad expression, even thinking about it makes his stomach lunch at him, he's seen Jesse angry or frustrated, tired and grumpy after training but blue doesn't suit him. The true red is when Jesse and him fight and fool around leaves his skin tingle for hours wherever Jesse touched, red is when Jesse ask him ominous questions open the doors of his newfangled world where nothing is reliable, where you doubt about your being, Jesse says he believes they all are in a big science project, other time he says it's all in our mind, Marcus thinks about it for days, when he lies in a hotel bed somewhere in England, staring at Jesse's calm body when he's asleep, if they are part of a project he's thankful of anyone managing this project for putting Jesse by his side, if it’s all in his mind he's thankful of his mind for making Jesse, because maybe football and money doesn't matter that much if you have someone like Jesse by your side, Jesse's presence doesn't have a price, maybe a thirteen-year-old Marcus only think about golden metal, but after years he thinks he found a golden heart.

He doesn't think about doubts and insecurities the moments he's away from sleeping he deems about the feeling in his heart as Jesse tighten his fist, Jesse frowns makes wrinkles between his eyebrows deepen, Marcus suspect he's having a nightmare, if Jesse is product of his mind he wants him to fantasize about theatre of dreams where they explore the world and spent all of their time together, he loves his life but there's part of him wonder what it would be like to go to wonderland with Jesse, or going to a witchcraft school with him, or being Bonnie and Clyde with a happy ending, after all they are partner in crime, right?

What the real theatre of dreams look like anyway? Marcus thinks it doesn't have outlandish or luxurious things, it doesn't have hugest sparkling trophies, no, he doesn't think a big ridiculous trophy with huge ears is in the showcase of it, no, or an old man with a mastermind. He thinks it's more like Jesse's mind.

The last thing in Marcus' mind is, love must be red in everyone's world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It really means a lot to me if you leave a comment on this. I really want to know your opinion, don't know how to express it.


End file.
